Art Director

Onward Search has an exciting opportunity for an Art Director with one of our top clients in McLean, VA. Our client’s team is growing, and they're looking for a Lead Art Director for internal-facing clients, who can demonstrate industry, conceptual and technical diversity with evidence of "thinking outside the box," while being strategically grounded and goal oriented. Your work must feel current and visually engaging, and you must have a strong sense of design and visual storytelling.

Are you an experienced designer with a passion for innovative and inspiring design? Are you a conceptual creative who grounds your ideas in strong strategic and insightful thinking? If so apply today to speak with one of our associates!

What You Bring:
You have a passion for the power of strategic design and an "anything's possible" mindset. You're proud of your work, your skill, your experience, and your expertise. You're not cynical, inflexible, or only about your portfolio. You want to be part of something great.

What You'll Do:

• Effectively communicate design standards.
• Create/direct new internal marketing efforts for print and digital as well as other applicable channels that persuasively communicate marketing objectives to the end consumer.
• Effectively brainstorm with a team to generate ideas and creative concepts.
• Understand Branding and adapting Brand Standards.
• Manage workflow through the entire life cycle of a project.
• Collaborate effectively with other internal partner teams to identify design and production-related problems and opportunities for improvement, as well as develop and implement solutions.
• Build flawless mechanical files for all types of internal marketing collateral, in both print and digital media.
• Experience in reviewing creative proofs, press proofs, online testing.
• Have strong presentation skills utilizing creative rationale to influence internal clients.
• Be self-organized, self-directed and able to manage multiple deadlines on concurrent projects.
• Have great attention to detail and desire to problem solve.
• Embrace the dynamic and corporate culture of the company.

Qualifications:
 

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Graphic Design or similar discipline.
• At least four years of work experience in an agency, design firm, studio, or part of an in-house client-side creative team in a Design-related role.
• 2+ years’ experience presenting concepts to peers, management, and executive stakeholders and influencing the design, product, and business direction.
• Exposure to client management, including relationship building with internal and external partners.
• Expertise using MAC OS, CS 6 InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, MS Office, and Acrobat.
• Basic knowledge of HTML.
• Experience in Design Thinking.
• Print and digital pre-press and production knowledge.
• Portfolio with direct response and digital (email, websites, microsites, etc.) samples.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a Financial services setting a plus.
• Expertise in HTML, other coding languages, CMS platforms.

Does this sound like you? Apply today!

Disclaimer:

• The client is unable to support 1099 / Corp-to-Corp or Independent Contractor arrangements at this time. All freelancers will be paid as W2 employees.
• In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.